POPE

Pope: Bear witness to God in every sphere

During his audience with members of the Catholic University of Sant'Antonio in Murcia, Spain, Pope Francis invites the faithful to imitate God's love in all they do and wherever they are.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Wherever you are, bear witness to God's love and exemplify His closeness through your good deeds... This was at the heart of Pope Francis' address on Thursday morning in the Vatican to members of Spain's Catholic University of Sant'Antonio of Murcia.

Born from the heart of the Church

The Holy Father encouraged the more than 600 people present in the Vatican's Clementine Hall to evangelize and embody missionary spirit as he recalled the legacy left by the University's founder, José Luis Mendoza Pérez, who died in January, 2023.

Don José Luis, Pope Francis remembered, wanted to leave as his legacy a university that was "missionary, evangelizing and profoundly existential," "born from the heart of the Church," and "animated by the power of God's Love."

Witnessing God's love and goodness

The Pope reminded Christians that all their works are done as members of Christ and of the Church, who is our Mother.

Thus, he insisted, we must concretely contribute to the Church's missionary and evangelical mission, inspired by faith and love.

The Holy Father urged the university representatives "to work from the heart of the Church" so that "people can be formed who are capable of accepting God and bearing witness to Him in any sphere, building a fraternal society where the Church is perceived in the good deeds of its members."